(201) Magazine Blogs

Monday, October 21, 2013

Rex: ‘I think we outplayed New England’

Jets coach Rex Ryan declined to discuss a report that he and his coaching staff had made the officiating staff aware Sunday of the Patriots’ penchant for pushing teammates in an attempt to block field goals. However, he later implied the Jets certainly were aware of it.
The Jets’ 30-27 win over New England was due, of course, in large part to an obscure rule, a new one for 2013, in which a player pushing a teammate into the opponents’ blocking formation incurs a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The call on New England’s Chris Jones negated Nick Folk’s miss from 56 yards and gave the Jets a first down at the New England 23. Folk soon converted a 42-yarder for the win.
Photos and video of the Patriots’ win over New Orleans last week showed they tried the same tactic against the Saints. When asked if he was aware of that, Ryan declined to answer directly on a conference call today, instead commenting, “Let’s put it this way. We watch every single play. … That’s what we do as coaches. We’re aware of opponents’ tendencies and everything else.”
Ryan seemed to get tired of questions about the play and finally said, “I think we outplayed New England and I think that’s why we won the game.”
The Jets did outgain the Patriots, 383-295 in total yardage. However, had Folk’s miss counted, New England would have had the ball at its own 46, and would have needed to gain only 20-25 yards to set up a game-winning try of its own.
Defensive tackle Damon Harrison, who is part of the protection unit, was the player whom the Patriots targeted with the tactic. He said he noticed what happened, but said, “at the time, it really didn’t register to me that it was a penalty.”
Once the flag was thrown, Harrison said, “I watched the referees talking and I was just praying it would go in our favor.”
New England coach Bill Belichick, who said after the game he disagreed with the call, indicated today that he and his coaching staff didn’t teach the rule properly.
“Obviously we are wrong,” he said. “What else is there to say? We’re wrong. …
Look, it’s our job to understand the rules. Whatever the bottom line is, we didn’t do it properly. So, what else is there to say?”

About

J.P. PELZMAN joined The Record in April 1998. He began his career at the Ocean County Observer in Toms River, where he spent one year before leaving for Newsday on Long Island. At The Record, he was the primary backup on the New York Jets’ beat for nine seasons, from 1998-2006, before becoming the beat writer in 2007. Pelzman also has been The Record’s beat writer for Seton Hall men’s basketball since the 2002-03 season.